Washington high court takes up minimum wage issue

State, federal and local law may all play a role in the Washington Supreme Court's decision on whether a new $15 minimum wage law in SeaTac applies to airport workers.

Justices asked a wide variety of questions during oral arguments in Olympia on Thursday, barely giving the lawyers time to push the court in one direction or another during the hour-long hearing.

The justices seemed interested in the jurisdictional debate the lawyers presented, but also wanted to talk about conflicts within the new SeaTac law, modern interpretations of old language in state statutes, and whether state rules would allow the airport to set its own minimum wage.

The Supreme Court hearing is the latest development in the debate over the minimum wage in Washington, which already has the nation's highest state minimum wage at $9.32 an hour.